Fasting, When and for Whom?
In the past the progress of life and the consciousness of one's relationship to the universe as a whole was mirrored in the observance of the fast. Man was very conscious of the fact that he was part of a whole that far surpassed the boundaries of his physical body. He intuitively knew that if he lost sight of his own body rhythms and got out of step with the seasons of the world about him he would likely fall ill. It is of interest that we are only recently rediscovering the importance of these rhythms and their part in everyday life.(9)

In accordance with this principle, times of fasting have in the past coincided with the seasons and the solar system's inherent rhythm. Note the Lenten fast in conjunction with the full moon of Easter in the Christian tradition, and the corresponding Passover fast associated with the same full moon of the Hebrew month of Nasar. Certain cultures have timed the planting and harvesting of their crops according to similar time schedules. Moses and Jesus were both aware of the needed season for a fast and each picked a period of forty days. In Islam, where the fast is adhered to more strictly than in the Judeo-Christian culture, Ahmad Sakr reports that the faithful Moslems all over the world are required to fast throughout the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of their calendar. In his words:

Further, not only does the season of the year but also the exact time of day have significance. When the human body approaches a state of homeostasis, it once again picks up these universal rhythms. This is obvious in the case of menstruation. It may also be observed in many blood determinations such as the pituitary clock and its maximum output of ACTH between 4 and 8 a.m. And even further, observation will reveal the relationship of the human endocrine system to this all-pervasive timepiece. The endocrine clock in association with the advent of puberty has been a time for a fast for the American Indian." I would like to think that once again we may discover the influence of these natural rhythms and their effect on health and their relationship to times for fasting.

It is the person who has become aware of his inner environment, its discovery and cleansing, that usually benefits the most from the fast and its attendant therapy. It was from this standpoint that Moses, Jesus and Gandhi were led into their fasts. During the last decade, approaching as we are the so-called Aquarian Age, there is much evidence of a new hunger to obtain sustenance capable of replacing the spiritual vacuum so prevalent in the materialistic world. The heart is sick! Through all eternity, this centrally placed human organ has symbolized the all-powerful role of love. Could this be the reason for the increasing number of deaths from heart disease? In spite of coronary care units in hospitals, by-pass surgeries and trained resuscitation teams, the long-term results have been to accomplish little toward increasing the span of human life. And so it is not only the outward aspects of health that prompt people to come to Meadowlark, and once there to choose the fast as an aid to finding new avenues of meaning in their lives, to finding fresh contacts with their spiritual natures. This desire for the fast often comes to them as an inner feeling of guidance.